So last time I mentioned the fact that I was casting things in Plaster of Paris and coloring the plaster. At first, I did some research on the internet and a few options came up, including using weathering powders, Rit dye, tempera paint powder and cement pigments.

Now what you’ll notice about all these options is that they are powders. Some of them work and some don’t, or at least not very well.

I first saw how to color plaster for modeling purposes on this Youtube video, which I do recommend. He does a great job on all his videos.

His method is to combine weathering pigments with water and then “paint” the mold he’s using. The results looked pretty good in his video.

I tried to replicate his efforts, but after several failed attempts with weathering powders, I rewatched the video and realized that he was painting the pigment into the mold and also putting it into the plaster.

Now he does say it would take a lot of weathering pigment to color a lot of castings. When I got the method to work, it did not color the plaster completely, but did give it more of a tint.

In this example, I put the powder directly into the mold, then poured the plaster. Didn’t turn out so well.Second try. I painted the mold with the powder after using homemade mold release. Enough powder stuck to the bottom of the mold to coat the bricks, but the rest of the plaster is still white.In this example, I painted the mold with the weathering powder and mixed some into the plaster. Looks better!In this casting, I tried another color of weathering powder, just for kicks. This casting only has weathering powder on the brick face.

Using more weathering powder is the way to intensify the color, but how much more is up to you. If you use powders like Vallejo (like I did) or AK, it could add up to a lot of money.

In any case, weathering powders can only color plaster so much. Next time, how using Rit Dye works.

Among the many aftermarket head sets offered by Warriors is this set of skulls with U.S. helmets. This is an usual offering, but I’m sure some people have been looking for an item like this. As the description says, there are six skulls cast in a cream-colored resin and the detail on these heads is great. The photo may not do it justice, but if you paint these well they will look great. The eye sockets are exaggerated a little, but I think this adds to the effect. The one thing that I wish was different is the casting gate on top of each helmet. These can be cut and sanded, but you have to careful not to alter the shape of the helmet. Other companies usually make the neck the attachment point, but if you are careful this won’t be a big deal. Overall I recommend these to modelers wanting to do something different.